Belda positive for EPO

by Shane Stokes

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David Belda, the son of ex-pro Vicente Belda, is facing a lengthy ban after testing positive for EPO in March. The Spaniard underwent the test on March 9 and, according to El Pais, the Agencia Española de Protección de la Salud en el Deporte (Spanish Agency for the Protection of Health in Sport, AEPSAD) tried to inform him of the positive test by letter. However the letter was returned to him.

The 34 year old is facing a suspension of up to four years and therefore could be at the end of his career.

He was racing this year with the Continental Burgos-BH team, the squad he was previously with between 2011 to 2015 before moving to the Pro Continental Team Roth.

He won the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon in 2009 and 2014 and the Tour des Pays de Savoie in 2015.

His father Vicente won stages in the Vuelta a España and Giro d’Italia, but tested positive for the stimulant Methylphenidate (Ritalin) on stage 17 of the 1982 Vuelta. He later worked as general manager for Kelme-Costa Blanca and Comunitat Valenciana. He lost the latter role when the team was heavily implicated in the Operacion Puerto affair.